Cooking light is one of the biggest trends today especially when new years resolutions are still fresh or a wedding or special occasion is on the horizon. Unfortunately, the associations people have with cooking light are bland, tasteless and horrible food. However, this not need be true at all. You can try any of your family’s favorite recipes and make it a healthier alternative by just substituting a few things and having a more open mind.
Cooking lighter is easier today as many of our staple foods now have a light version. For example, cheese is now being made with alternative milk such as goats milk, skimmed milk is also used now too and these alternatives do not affect the flavor at all. Butter can be eliminated by substituting with low fat spread to reduce calorie intake significantly. It is important to make sure that you are eating the right fats and avoiding trans fats where possible.
Dressings are particularly high in all the wrong things so try a low fat mayonnaise or fat free ranch dressing in your sandwiches. Avoid using foods coated in oil, many types of tinned fish are now packed in water rather than oils, this significantly reduces your calorie intake.
Bread can be a very unhealthy food, especially if you eat a lot of it. Go for a 100% whole grain bread because it is high in fiber and low in fat. Choose whole grain also when buying muffins, rolls and other foods such as pasta and rice. Whole grain foods help to protect against some diseases and can make you feel less lethargic. A great start to cooking light.
The oil you use for cooking is also an important part of your lighter cooking style. Extra virgin olive oil is ideal but can be expensive a cheaper alternative is Canola, which has lots of health benefits when compared to vegetable oils.
If you are into baking, try using Splenda, a no calorie sweetener instead of sugar and try unsweetened apple sauce instead of vegetable oil. Line your baking pans with no fat cooking spray instead of butter and use semi sweet or preferably dark chocolate.